Associate Buyer

About the role

As an Associate Buyer, you’ll play a key role in shaping product strategy, launching new assortments, and partnering cross-functionally to deliver sales, margin, and inventory goals. This is a hands-on opportunity to grow your merchandising career while influencing how products come to life in-store and online.

Essential Functions

• Participate in the development of the strategic plan for the category.
• In collaboration with the Category Manager and Merchandise Planning team, choose and align product assortment based on customer buying trends and cultivate the vision for how the overall assortment is represented in the store.
• Build product catalogs inclusive of new product launches and promotions (SKU builds, etc.).
• Maintain accurate product attributes, pricing, and cost updates in systems.
• Support promotional planning, markdown, clearance, and exit strategies.
• Maintain strong internal communication and follow-up.
• Aid in the management of Vendor Relationships.
• Help drive the success of department objectives in collaboration with Marketing, Supply Chain and Retail Operations.
• Analyze and develop reports that reflect category performance trends.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Merchandising, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 2–4 years of experience in replenishment, buying, inventory management, or supply chain.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret sales and inventory data.
• Proficiency in Excel and inventory or planning systems.
• Strong communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.

Skills

• Familiarity with school-year driven demand cycles or rental programs.
• Experience working with long-lead-time vendors or import product.
• Understanding of key retail metrics: turns, sell-through, weeks of supply, and fill rate.

Benefits

Pay Rate: $60,000 - $70,000/yr depending on background and experience. The pay range(s) listed are provided in compliance with state specific laws. Pay ranges may be different in other locations.

Pay

$60,000 - $70,000/yr depending on background and experience.

Schedule

N/A